5.03.2009

I grew up on Disney movies, most of which were long before the Pixar era. My all time favorite is Sleeping Beauty, but the Little Mermaid is pretty high up there. And while this charm isn't quite Ariel like, the movie is always the first thing to come to mind when I look at it.

This tiny lady has a lot of flare and bling to her. Just check out the gigantic pendant she's wearing - it's so huge that it nearly masks the tiny shells that cover up her top half, and practically all of her stomach. But she's clearly not worried about losing it, since her arms are sweetly hanging onto a ring that is attached to the clasp. Her hair is fanned out behind her and her tail curves upward, leaving the imagination to believe that mischievousness could have been afoot when she was plucked from the sea. The scale detail is fantastic; the blend of gold at the bottom edges of the scales and green on the rest really give it dimension.

I have just two complaints about this charm; the necklace and the hair. The necklace because it kind of overshadows the delicacy of the body, and the hair because.. well.. it kind of looks like a conehead if you stare at it long enough. Now that I think of it, her face is a little lackluster as well - no colored enamel at all to help define her features or expression. I overlook all of these things, though, because my love of childhood cartoons keeps me attached to mythical creatures and beings like the mermaid.

If you're searching for it, be prepared to pay well over $100 (if not $200) for this one, as the original one is still hard to find. It IS faked so check carefully before making a purchase, and really scrutinize photos. A natuical watch/bracelet was released not so long ago, and has been making the rounds on eBay.. I wouldn't put it past some sellers to disassemble this bracelet and try to sell off the charms individually, as they're all remakes of older ones (including the yacht and lifering).